Vietnam calls for law observance at sea, ocean

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam calls on all countries to make constructive contributions in line with international law to maintaining peace, stability and the rule of law at sea and in the ocean, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh.

The spokesperson made the statement on October 24 in reply to reporters’ question about Vietnam’s reaction to the US’s USS Decatur navy destroyer sailing near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago on October 21.

“First and foremost, Vietnam affirms that the country has full historical evidence and legal foundations to prove its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes,” he said.

The diplomat noted that as a coastal country in the East Sea and a responsible member of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), Vietnam respects other nations’ exercise of their rights in the sea in accordance with the convention’s regulations, including the freedom of navigation and overflight.

Maritime claims and related deeds conducted by countries should follow international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, Binh said.-VNA